Artist Statement

My artwork taps the imagery of my childhood—the comic books, toys, and movies whose stories mingled with my imagination until, as an adult, they emerged as symbols for more complex themes. The graphite pencils I use reflect this nostalgic starting point. Not only were pencils the medium of my childhood drawings—I can still remember my grandmother sharpening the nubby no. 2s with a paring knife over the kitchen trash can—but I rely on those same gray tones to give the portraiture at the center of my work a hushed, heirloom quality.

More often than not, these portraits depict the heroes and monsters of popular culture, but I view them as more than objects of fandom. Heroes, after all, were for F. Scott Fitzgerald the seedstuff of tragedy, and monsters are the patron saints of misfits according to Guillermo del Toro. As tragic saints and misfits, these characters evoke age-old narratives and enduring truths that I try to make visible in my work. Through them, I explore the uneasy but persistent connection between pop culture and the ageless qualities that make us human.